Coomson accuses Apraku of blackmail, he threatens legal action

As the dust begins to settle in the camp of the vanquished NDC, signals are emerging of a rummage for spoils of war by some elements in the victorious NPP camp, with little regard for the rules of battle.

Chronicle has gathered a pool of unverified allegations, but can substantiate, at least, perhaps one of the more disturbing examples of 'smash and grab' with potential to dilute the President's pledge of 'No witch-hunting'.

Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, one of the high profile cabinet Ministers in the Government, is grappling with allegations of improper conduct, following reports of threats he made to a Dutch business house that ultimately led to the award of an agency or consultancy business to a Tema-based business woman, a divorcee and a close friend of the minister.

The minister also followed up with a personal guarantee to Damen Shipyards, Gorinchen, Holland, authorizing them to build a fishing boat for his friend, with the promise that a government guarantee via the Ministry of Trade and Finance would be coming through to meet the financial requirements.

Apraku, who is the MP for Offinso North, admitted the latter, explaining that the Government had concluded plans to effect guarantees to private sector businesses and the guarantee he was referring to was in line with Government plans.

He flatly denied the allegation of blackmail or that he issued threats though the accompanying document (copy reproduced on front page) appear to cast some doubts to his denial in an interview at which his deputy was present.

In May, Apraku travelled to Holland on a mission and made a detour to Gorinchem, Holland, with the buxom lady in his illustrious company.

The pair visited the Damen Shipyard alone.

The company is involved in port rehabilitation, boat building, fisheries and related businesses and is represented over the last 15 years by Massai Developers.

Massai is associated with Mr. Eddie Annan, a wealthy business mogul and financier of Professor Atta Mills (his Cantoment residence was where the NDC flagbearer took his daily early morning swimming therapy), and known to be a significant beneficiary of political patronage in the past Government.

Chronicle gathered that before Apraku and his lady friend settled down for a formal meeting between the Managing Director and Africa Director of the company, Messrs Pierre Van Herel, both Apraku and Naana were reported to have threatened that Mr. Edward Annan was going to be finished because a probe was going to be launched on Masai and Damen shipyards.

Apraku went on to suggest that the agency that was being held by Masai should be given to Nana Nkansah, a director of a company called Celtic Rock, which usually supplies vegetables to hotels and a resident of Tema.

Mr. Annan in a subsequent telephone interview with a Chronicle contact was even more explicit with threats allegedly made by minister.

In a telephone conversation monitored by Chronicle in London, Mr. Herel confirmed to an official introducing himself as a representative from the Fisheries Ministry that Nana Ofei Nkansah had indeed been made an agent/consultant of Damen, with a schedule for Vessel patrol/Fisheries related businesses.

"All fisheries projects initiated and financed by the Ministry of fisheries are hers".

The Damen team had been to Ghana earlier with the Dutch Trade Minister and they had not had any meeting with the Sector Minister, Mr. Ishmael Ashittey, MP for Tema West (Minister for Fisheries).

Dr. Apraku explained that the Fisheries industry comes under him.

Ms. Ofei Nkansah had been pursuing Damen over the last three years to get a fishing boat, and had been unsuccessful because of cash flow challenges.

In his office nearly three weeks ago, the minister volunteered the information that he has no amorous relationship with the divorcee, even though it did not come up during the interview, stressing that it was being rumoured that he did.

They stayed overnight at the same hotel. Minutes of the formal meeting obtained by Chronicle were copied to Mr. Eddie Annan, Nana Ofei and Dr. Apraku (Chronicle may re-produce it).

Neither the Private Enterprise Foundation (PEF) nor the Association of Ghanaian Industries (AGI) have her name on their list of members, so her status at Apraku's mission and the reason for the unusual courtesies extended to her raised eyebrows, though she is said to be the top executive of the exporters association.

On Tuesday August 7, Mr. Van Herel called back on official said to be representing the Ministry of Fisheries in London. The conversation monitored by Chronicle intelligence touched on Fisheries Patrol vehicles, the Moroccan threat to the Ghana fishing industry, how Mr. Ashittey, the Minister of Fisheries, appears to be out of the loop in all the discussions.

The man claiming to be from the Fisheries Ministry allayed the fears of Van Herel about the 'doomsday' story of Masai and said the NPP Government will not seize people's business without going through due process and obtaining legal justification for any action. It sounded like a damage limitation spin, ending with a suggestion that Apraku's threats should be disregarded.

"You seem to know everything, or are you an intelligence man too? Would you like to be our agent?" Inquired Van Herel.

"I work for the Government, I cannot do that…" was the response.

Dr. Apraku, a professional agricultural economist told the Chronicle in a full interview that he was ready to assist any businessperson, even from the NDC camp, who needed his assistance financially or as a business lobbyist and therefore the treatment for Ms. Nkansah should not be misconstrued.

He explained that only a small portion of Damen's business, which does not belong to Mr. Annan or that is non-performing has been given to Ms. Nkansah, who, sources say, is well endowed.

Masai Developers, represented by Mr. Anan, are of the opinion that they are being singled out for destruction and witch hunting.

Indeed, Masai has been hauled before the Bureau of National Investigations where their files are being pored over by security agents. Their agencies include that of Boscalis, one Kalmar, IBM, SEAT and a host of others, which have been involved in businesses in Ghana over the years. He is linked to La Palm Hotel project where it is speculated that Mrs. Rawlings and he have more than a passing interest.

Mr. Anan, a hit with women in high places, is the point man for CIDA (The Canadian International Development Agency). His huge and diverse portfolio has drawn suspicion, heightened by his relation with former Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who was directly in charge of CIDA/Japanese grants.

In the controversial matter of La Palm Hotel, Amissah-Arthur somehow became board Chairman and another Annan 'boy' Klaus Riebensah, formerly with the Port of Hamburg Authority and one time project Manager for Eddie Annan's Port Rehabilitation project at Tema, was made the Managing Director.

Over the last month, he has been turned inside out by agents of Government, but he is helped by the fact that he is still a very private person who did not hold any office or board appointments and therefore not subject to any code of conduct that ministers or board members of Government-owned institutions hold. His tax records also appear to be in order with most of his businesses.

A German-trained aeronautical engineer, people who know him say he is very thorough man who started business during High School days at Mfantsipim.

Officially, no charge has been levelled against him, but the investigations continue amidst claims of witch-hunting.

Meanwhile, according to Joy FM, Dr Apraku has threatened court action against Chronicle newspaper for the above story

Apraku threatens legal action
Trade and Industry Minister, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, has threatened legal action against the publisher of the Ghanaian Chronicle, Nana Kofi Coomson, over the paper’s story citing him in a blackmail case. The story, written by Kofi Coomson and published in Monday, September 10, issue of the paper alleged that the minister had pledged government guarantee for a female associate, to acquire a fishing boat and a consultancy agreement from a Dutch company, Damens Shipyards.

The Chronicle also alleged that Dr. Apraku had influenced the directors of Damens Company to appoint his friend, a businesswoman, Nana Ofei Nkansah, as its representative in place of the local agency, Masai developers.

The Chronicle story, accompanied with a copy of a memo allegedly written by the African Director of the company, Mr. Reinier van Herel, further alleged that the Minister issued threats of an imminent government probe into the relations between the Dutch company and its longtime associates, Masai, owned by Mr. Edward Annan, a business tycoon who is said to be a staunch member of the NDC party and a friend to former Vice President Atta Mills. Damens Shipyards based in Gorinchem, Holland is involved in port rehabilitation, boat building, fisheries and related businesses.

The story allege that Nana Ofei Nkansah has been pursuing Damens over the last three years and had not been successful because of cash inflows challenges but has now clinched a deal with the company through the influence of Dr. Apraku. The story continues that the minister threatened Mr. Eddie Annan to transfer the consulting services from Masai to Nana Nkansah’s company. Dr. Apraku denied the allegations in an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show.

According to him, he met Nana Nkansah who is a friend, in Holland after which they were both taken to the offices of Damens by a former husband of Nana Nkansah for a meeting he had arranged with Damens. He noted that the meeting was to discuss trade issues between the company and Ghana and not for Ms. Ofei Nkansah.

The Trade Minister said he has a copy of the minutes of the meeting written by officials of the Damens Company and nothing was mentioned about Ms. Nkansah, Mr. Annan or any other representatives from Ghana. He told JOYFM that he sees the story as an attempt to impune on his integrity and in the circumstance he will take legal action against Kofi Coomson.

But Kofi Coomson says Dr. Apraku cannot sue the paper over the publication. According to him, the article was published to ensure that justice is done adding that legal action will not serve Dr. Apraku’s interest in any way.